Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
Launches & SpacecraftLaunches & SpacecraftSpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 10 test flight on Aug. 24 Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec.
22, 2023 on the company's fourth-ever flight, a mission called"Fly the Lightning.""During testing at Firefly's facility in Briggs, Texas, the first stage of Firefly's Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage," the Texas-based company wrote in an."Proper safety protocols were followed, and all personnel are safe. The company is assessing the impact to its stage test stand, and no other facilities were impacted."SpaceX calls off critical Starship Flight 10 test launch due to 'issue with ground systems'During that mission, called"Message in a Booster," Alpha's first-stage booster broke apart shortly after separating from the upper stage. The anomaly damaged the upper stage's engine nozzle, compromising its thrust and leading to theFirefly traced the problem to heat buildup in the first stage, caused by a phenomenon known as"plume-induced flow separation." Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration accepted the results of the company's anomaly investigation and its mitigation plan, The two-stage Alpha, which stands 96.7 feet tall, debuted in September 2021. Just two of its six orbital launches to date have been fully successful.Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!New record! Firefly Aerospace launches Space Force mission 27 hours after receiving order"Regular testing is part of Firefly's philosophy — we test each critical component, engine, and vehicle stage to ensure it operates within our flight requirements before we ship to the launch pad," the company wrote in Monday's update."We learn from each test to improve our designs and build a more reliable system. We will share more information on the path forward at a later date." Firefly doesn't just build rockets. Indeed, it's probably best known for its robotic Blue Ghost moon lander, the first of whichto keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life,"Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.After almost 20 years helping to operate rovers on Mars, NASA geologist and astronaut candidate Lauren Edgar says stepping foot on the Red Planet 'would be a dream' 'Space: Above and Beyond': 30 years on, Fox's failed military sci-fi series is almost lost to time... and that's a shame
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